Grylls fighting for his political life

IN the past four years, Brendon Grylls has brought royalties by the billions to the regions, while almost single-handedly reviving the power and glory of the Nationals Party in Western Australia.

In the next four weeks, the Nationals WA leader will be fighting for his own political life - and it is a fight he has picked for himself.

The architect of the Royalties for Regions scheme that allowed Premier Colin Barnett to form government following the 2008 election, Mr Grylls has spearheaded the diverting of rivers of gold from WA's mines to the state's rural areas.

This has included $131 million to revitalise the Gascoyne region, $977 million to revive the Pilbara's residential centres, and most recently with the continuing expansion of the Ord River irrigation scheme in the East Kimberley, Mr Grylls was front and centre of the announcement of a $700 million agriculture deal with Chinese investors.

But after considering quitting politics altogether following his entry to parliament via a by-election for the seat of Merredin in 2001, Mr Grylls has now taken on the high-risk strategy of quitting the safe Central Wheatbelt seat to challenge for the Pilbara in a bid to keep the royalties flowing while reducing Labor influence.

But it will not be easy, with a Labor margin of 7.2 per cent, and local ALP candidate Kelly Howlett boasting 13 years living and working in the area as a barmaid, gardener and Port Headland mayor in 2009.

Mr Grylls' casting as a "fly in, fly out" candidate by Labor has a hint of irony given the help Royalties for Regions has given the mining communities that have been so dependent on the FIFO economy in the past.

But despite the doubts of both locals and Mr Barnett about the gamble to shift his seat, Mr Grylls' contention that projects are funded by cabinet, not in the front bar, is likely to hold some significant weight.